Apparatus and method for making and inspecting pre-fastened articles

• Main Authors: CARBONE, HENRY L. II, PROTHEROE, MICHAEL W, GIMENEZ, JOSEPH J, KRUPKA, KURT G, POPP, ROBERT L, CLARK, CLINTON D, VOGT, BRIAN R, DOLLEVOET, TIM G, SCHNASSE, STEVEN L, MAROHL, BRADLEY M, COUILLARD, JACK, KOELE, MATTHEW L, MAXTON, DAVID A, MORGAN, ARCHIE D
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 12.08.2009
• Subjects: BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF,TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, E.G. STENTS; FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; FIRST-AID KITS; FOMENTATION; GAMMA RAY OR X-RAY MICROSCOPES; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; IRRADIATION DEVICES; MEASURING; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS; MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEARDIMENSIONS; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING; NUCLEAR PHYSICS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; PHYSICS; PROSTHESES; TECHNIQUES FOR HANDLING PARTICLES OR IONISING RADIATION NOTOTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; TESTING; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS

In a method and apparatus for making and inspecting pre-fastened articles, such as disposable training pants, having at least two generally flexible elements capable of connection with each other during initial assembly of the article, the elements are arranged in overlapping relationship with each other and connected together to define an engagement seam of the article. The article is arranged to define an interior space thereof whereby the interior space is bounded in part by the engagement seam. The elements are irradiated at the engagement seam by a radiation source within the interior space of the article and an image of the irradiated engagement seam is captured by an image capturing device. In one embodiment, the image capturing device is positioned within the interior space of the article and the radiation source is either within the interior space or exterior of the article.